Did Anyone Else Receive a Letter of Warning From Barry Lynn & His Group?

T-Bone

T-Bone

New member
Doctor
Elect
Joined
Jan 25, 2012
Messages
3,769
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Age
65
Location
Arizona
Wow...received a letter from Barry Lynn and "Americans United for Separation of Church & State". The letter was a warning about preachers speaking about the upcoming election day and that we are restricted as 501-3c corporations from endorsing or "influencing" the people concerning a candidate. They warn even about voters guide all with the threat of the loss of our tax status. What do I think..
.I think I will not let a man tell me what I can preach in the pulpit as I am led by the Lord, and I will not let the government tell me what I can preach led by the Lord. Barry Lynn and his group are a mockery of the sepearation of church & state and the Constitution. The Constitution says the government will make NO laws concerning religion or the FREE exercise thereof. What part of NO LAWS or FREE EXERCISE do they not understand. The day the government tells me what to preach is the day I step out of the churches pulpit. I was not called by the government and I will not be restricted by the government. I will speak the truth as God leads for He is my Lord. "...do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" Galatians 1: 10b
 
Apparently sent it generically to pastors...here is the letter...

Election Season 2012
Dear Religious Leader,
As Election Day draws near, candidates and their supporters may seek help or endorsements from your house of worship. Thus, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the law governing electioneering by nonprofit organizations.
The First Amendment protects the right of all Americans, religious leaders included, to speak out on religious, moral and political issues. However, houses of worship and other nonprofit entities classified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Code are barred from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office and may not intervene directly or indirectly in partisan campaigns.
Any activity designed to influence the outcome of a partisan election can be construed as intervention. If the IRS determines that your house of worship has engaged in unlawful intervention, it can revoke the institution's tax-exempt status or levy significant fines on the house of worship or its leaders.
Contrary to what some may believe, the IRS does enforce the "no politicking" rule. In 1995, the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of a Binghamton, N.Y., church for buying a frill-page ad in USA Today opposing a 1992 presidential candidate. (The federal courts upheld the revocation.) Other churches and religious ministries, including Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network and Jerry Falwell's Old Time Gospel Hour, have been subject to audits and retroactive tax payments for violating the "no electioneering" rule.
In addition, a special "Political Activity Compliance Initiative" has been created to educate houses of worship about the law and deal with reports of violations. (For more information on pulpit politicking, see the IRS Web site at: http://www.irs.govicharities/churchesiindex.html and click on "The Restriction of Campaign Political Intervention by Section 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Organizations.")
Houses of worship and other nonprofit groups may sponsor voter registration drives and candidate forums if they are truly nonpartisan, and issue advocacy is broadly protected. But remember, tax law prohibits 501(c)(3) groups from supporting or opposing candidates.
I urge you to be especially wary of so-called "voter guides." Such guides are often thinly veiled partisan materials. If the IRS finds that a violation has occurred, it may be the house of worship, not the organization that produced the guide, which is penalized.
This letter is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice, and I urge you to consult with your legal advisor on specific questions. To learn more about issues surrounding religion and politics, visit our Web site: hap
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,

The Rev. Ban), . Lynn Executive Director
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
 
T-Bone said:
Wow...received a letter from Barry Lynn and "Americans United for Separation of Church & State". The letter was a warning about preachers speaking about the upcoming election day and that we are restricted as 501-3c corporations from endorsing or "influencing" the people concerning a candidate. They warn even about voters guide all with the threat of the loss of our tax status. What do I think..
.I think I will not let a man tell me what I can preach in the pulpit as I am led by the Lord, and I will not let the government tell me what I can preach led by the Lord. Barry Lynn and his group are a mockery of the sepearation of church & state and the Constitution. The Constitution says the government will make NO laws concerning religion or the FREE exercise thereof. What part of NO LAWS or FREE EXERCISE do they not understand. The day the government tells me what to preach is the day I step out of the churches pulpit. I was not called by the government and I will not be restricted by the government. I will speak the truth as God leads for He is my Lord. "...do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" Galatians 1: 10b
Click to expand...

Good for you. I think it would be wise to not endorse candidates and possibly lose tax exempt status.
 
Saw this on the Fox News website earlier today...

"More than 1,000 pastors are planning to challenge the IRS next month by deliberately preaching politics ahead of the presidential election despite a federal ban on endorsements from the pulpit.

The defiant move, they hope, will prompt the IRS to enforce a 1954 tax code amendment that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, from making political endorsements. Alliance Defending Freedom, which is holding the October summit, said it wants the IRS to press the matter so it can be decided in court. The group believes the law violates the First Amendment by
 
I wonder whether Barry Lynn ever sent a similar warning in 2008 to either Jeremiah Wright or Michael Pfleger.
 
HeDied4U said:
Saw this on the Fox News website earlier today...

"More than 1,000 pastors are planning to challenge the IRS next month by deliberately preaching politics ahead of the presidential election despite a federal ban on endorsements from the pulpit.

The defiant move, they hope, will prompt the IRS to enforce a 1954 tax code amendment that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, such as churches, from making political endorsements. Alliance Defending Freedom, which is holding the October summit, said it wants the IRS to press the matter so it can be decided in court. The group believes the law violates the First Amendment by
Click to expand...
 
As a 1st Amendment matter, I think pastors can say anything they want.

Complying with the tax code is another matter. And maybe they should, if they have a conviction that they need to preach on politics, give up tax-exempt status for free speech.

But personally, I do not want to hear politics from the pulpit, not least because it's highly unlikely my pastor and I agree politically. At my church, we're a pretty diverse bunch, ethnically, demographically and probably politically. I'm sure we have Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens, and who knows what else. Preaching politics would be the surest way to split us up.
 
Obviously, the "Americans United for Separation of Church & State" isn't really for the "Separation of Church & State," as they are very enthusiatic about the State telling the Church what it can and cannot do.
 
I see on their website there's a place to "Report Violations." 

Think I'll report the Government interfering in the affairs of the Church and see what happens.
 
I hope the preachers will say who they should vote for from the pulpit. Let see if the admin will take them to court.
 
I received a similar letter 4 years ago and it inspired me to have a voter registration table and voter guides. Doing the same this year.....registered 20 last Sunday!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top